1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a photography system that images a subject, which is provided within a frame.
2. Description of the Related Art
Apparatuses that place subjects within frames, and image the subjects by irradiating the subjects with a light source provided within the frame, are utilized in various fields. For example, a fluorescence detecting system that utilizes fluorescent materials as marker substances is known in the field of biochemistry. The fluorescence detecting system is capable of evaluating gene sequences, levels of gene expression, separation, fixation, molecular weights and characteristics of proteins, and the like, by reading out fluorescence images.
Specifically, fluorescent dyes are added to a solution that includes a plurality of DNA fragments which are to be subjected to electrophoresis. Then, the plurality of DNA fragments are caused to undergo electrophoresis on a gel substrate. Alternatively, a plurality of DNA fragments may be caused to undergo electrophoresis on a gel substrate that contains fluorescent dyes. After the plurality of DNA fragments undergo electrophoresis on the gel substrate, the DNA fragments are marked by soaking the gel substrate in a solution that contains fluorescent dyes or the like. Then, the fluorescent dyes are excited by excitation light, and fluorescence generated by the excitation is detected to form an image. Thereby, the DNA distribution on the gel substrate can be detected.
Alternatively, a plurality of DNA fragments may be caused to undergo electrophoresis on a gel substrate, then denatured. Next, at least a portion of the denatured DNA fragments are transferred onto a transfer substrate such as cellulose nitrate by the Southern Blotting method. A probe, which is prepared by marking a DNA which is complementary to a target DNA with fluorescent dye or by marking RNA with fluorescent dye, is hybridized with the denatured DNA fragments. The DNA fragments, which are complementary to the probe DNA or the probe RNA, are selectively marked. Then, the fluorescent dyes are excited by excitation light, and fluorescence generated by the excitation is detected to form an image. Thereby, the distribution of target DNA on the transfer substrate can be detected.
In recent years, micro array analysis systems are gathering attention as a biochemical analytic system. For example, there are micro array analysis systems that utilize fluorescent materials as marker substances. In these systems, specific bonding materials, which specifically bind with tissue derived substances and of which base sequences and base lengths are known, are spotted on different positions of a carrier such as a glass slide or a membrane filter by a spotter apparatus, thereby forming a plurality of independent spots. The specific bonding materials include: hormones, tumor markers, enzymes, antibodies, antigens, abzymes, other proteins, nucleic acids, cDNA, DNA, and RNA. Next, tissue derived substances, which are collected from tissue by extraction, isolation or the like, or tissue derived substances, which have been chemically processed or chemically modified and marked with a fluorescent marker substance such as fluorescent dyes, are specifically bonded with the specific bonding materials by hybridization or the like. The tissue derived substances include: hormones, tumor markers, enzymes, antibodies, antigens, abzymes, other proteins, nucleic acids, cDNA, DNA, and mRNA. Then, the micro array, on which the specifically bound materials are arranged, is excited by excitation light, and fluorescence generated by the excitation of fluorescent materials and marker substances is photoelectrically detected. Thereby, the tissue derived materials are analyzed.
In addition to the fluorescence methods described above, chemiluminescence methods that utilize chemiluminescence reactions, in which substances emit light during chemical reactions, have also been proposed. The chemiluminescence methods may be employed to inspect and research (genetic analysis, diagnosis, aging) living tissue, or to evaluate deterioration of organic compounds and polymeric compounds. In the chemiluminescence method, for example, tissue derived substances are marked with antigens. Antibodies are marked with marker substances that generate chemical luminescence when they come into contact with chemically luminescent ground substances. The tissue derived substances are brought into contact with the antibodies, then brought into contact with the chemically luminescent ground substances, to generate chemiluminescence.
The fluorescence and the chemiluminescence, which are to be detected in the aforementioned fluorescence methods and the chemiluminescence methods, are extremely faint. Therefore, subjects are hosed within a light shielding frame, and the fluorescence or the chemiluminescence emitted by the subject is detected by a cooled CCD (photography unit), as disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20030214581. Specifically, in the case of the fluorescence method, an excitation light source provided within the frame irradiates excitation light onto the subject. The fluorescence emitted by the subject due to the excitation is focused as a visible image on the cooled CCD via a high sensitivity lens. In the case of the chemiluminescence method, the excitation light source is not activated, and the luminescence emitted by the subject is focused as a visible image on the cooled CCD via the high sensitivity lens.
There are cases in which a single subject is imaged a plurality of times at different photography timings using the above photography apparatus. For these cases, there is a method in which an operator issues photography commands each time that photography is performed, and a method in which photography is automatically repeated at predetermined time intervals. Further, a method has been proposed, in which images are temporarily obtained at predetermined time intervals between initiation and completion of exposure, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-111478.
However, in the method in which an operator issues photography commands each time that photography is performed, the burden on the operator is great. In the method in which photography is automatically repeated at predetermined time intervals and in the method disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-111478, problems, such as unnecessary image data sets being obtained, and an inability to obtain image data sets at cycles other than the predetermined time intervals, may arise.